This invention relates to racing games in which one or more racing objects, such as airplanes, travel along a closed loop path competing against each other or the clock.
A number of racing games have been proposed in the prior art in which racing objects, such as race cars, are propelled along a closed loop path under the influence of gravity. See, for instance, the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 1,729,049 issued in the name of C. O. Olsen, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,767,986 issued in the name of M. W. Newberry. Typically, the racing objects move along a closed loop path on a platform which may be tilted in one direction, and then the other, so that the racing objects are continuously moving in downward direction under the influence of gravity. In the Olsen patent a rather elaborate scheme is disclosed for enhancing the speed of the racing objects, such scheme comprising a roller and groove combination, the roller being coupled to the racing object.
A problem with racing games of the type disclosed in the above-noted patents stems from the fact that the racing objects must necessarily traverse closed-loop paths which are unequal in length. Usually, the paths are substantially concentric, the interior path length, of course, being shorter than the outer path. Thus, to assure that the laptime of the racing objects is strictly a function of the skill of the participant, a handicapping scheme must be devised. For instance, in the Olsen reference above it is suggested that the sliding friction of the inner racing object must be made slightly higher than that of the outer racing object. Alternatively, one of the rollers may be made heavier than the other. Regardless of the approach, it should be apparent that accurate handicapping can present a difficult technical problem.